Philadelphia Alley is perhaps the most famous of Charleston’s cool alleys. It has had a number of names over the years, but was named for the city of Philadelphia in 1811 after it had sent generous financial aid to help Charleston recover after a large fire in 1810.

Following the Civil War, the citizens of Charleston gathered here (the Gaillard-Bennett House) to greet Robert E. Lee — who spoke to them from the second level of the portico. Even without that, it’s a pretty memorable sidewalk and house.

Burbage’s Self-Service Grocery has been serving the community around Broad Street since 1948. For local residents, it’s a beloved store where you can go in and order a spicy (or mild) BBQ sandwich, pick up some other great and/or needed stuff, and then just say, “charge it to my account” and head on home.

Ask a Local

asks John H., from Seattle, Washington… The City Market is what was called the “Slaves’ Market,” not the “Slaves Market.” That apostrophe makes all the difference in the world. While a shocking number of humans were sold into slavery in Charleston (a very dark period in the City’s history), they were not sold at what […]